TRABZON
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a "fair and just solution for Syria and Iraq," on Friday.
Erdogan pointed out that the ongoing and extremely bloody conflict in the two neighbouring countries has created a "highly sensitive" situation in both Turkey and the region as a whole.
"Turkey has not taken sides in the conflicts surrounding the country and is neither against any sect or ethnicity, nor with them. Our side is always that of peace and dialogue," Erdogan said, at a conference held at Turkey’s Black Sea coast province of Trabzon.
In the context of the highly sensitive situation, Turkey takes every precaution against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party and other terrorist organizations, as they are a threat to the state, Erdogan said.
Terrorist violence on Thursday night killed six people in the eastern city of Bingol Thursday, including two police officers. Erdogan condemned the violence, and sent a condolence message to the families of the murdered police officers.
"Our security forces killed some terrorists and police operations continue to arrest the others responsible," he said.
The President expressed outrage at the death toll of 31 people from a series of illegal pro-Kurdish protests across Turkey. Protestors accused the government of inaction against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant attacks at the Syrian border city of Kobani, which is also known as Ayn al-Arab.
The nationwide protests broke out after ISIL-militants came close to occupying the town, which has a majority Kurdish population, on Monday.
Erdogan harshly criticized the illegal pro-Kurdish protests which turned violent. "Vandals and those attacking the Turkish flag will be caught sooner or later and they will be put on trial. Turkey's domestic and foreign policies will not be determined by terrorist attacks or violence," he said.
Erdogan also emphasized the importance of the ongoing "solution process." But he warned: "The solution process does not allow for illegitimacy and illegal acts."
Turkey launched what is publicly known as the "solution process" to end the decades-old conflict with the outlawed PKK, a dispute which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people over more than 30 years.
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